Ahmir
Ahmir were a vocal group act from Season 2 of JayGT. They were eliminated in 6th place. Background AHMIR began with founding members Leon Jones and Michael McDonald. Michael McDonald, also known as Big Mike, came from one of the roughest areas in Harlem, New York City. Though he was negatively influenced by the conditions surrounding him, Big Mike persevered, focusing on his growth and musical talent. He joined the Boys Choir of Harlem where he reached the rank of soloist and performed with some of the most legendary artists in the world such as Pavarotti, Luther Vandross and Babyface. Big Mike continued to hone his singing craft, which proudly led him to securing a scholarship to attend Boston University for vocal performance. Leon Jones, AKA Mr. Jones, the only member who is originally from Boston, came to know his voice through the church and further through joining the choir at his alma mater, Northeastern University. It was during this time that he and Big Mike (then a member of Boston University’s choir), met and realized they shared a vision of, as Mr. Jones describes, “starting a male R&B group that was not only built on the foundation of music, but also brotherhood.” Third member, KC Washington was raised in Rochester, New York. With a dream of stardom and only a few hundred dollars in his pocket, KC moved to Boston determined to pursue a career in music. It was a difficult transition, which included staying at a shelter before he was able to find employment and get his feet on the ground. However, destined as it was, KC encountered a flier announcing auditions for a third and fourth member of what would be AHMIR. He did not hesitate for one second before making the call. Mark Robertson AKA Sing-Sing, hails from Philadelphia, PA. An avid fan of Michael Jackson, Sing-Sing auditioned and was accepted into the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA), whose alumni include legendary R&B group Boyz II Men, notable jazz bassist Christian McBride, and Bilal who is one of his all-time favorite artists. Sing-Sing later headed to Boston to attend the world-renowned Berklee College of Music where Big Mike and Mr. Jones discovered him singing at a concert and added him as the final member of the group. At the start, the group began their career under a different name, One Luv, but then decided to go with a more distinct name, one that would truly represent their place in music. AHMIR, Arabic for “Prince” was decided on. The fellas had gained notoriety on YouTube by covering Top 40 Pop songs from huge crossover stars from Taylor Swift to Usher. In 2006, the group had one of their first major breakthroughs, charting the single “Welcome To My Party” on Billboard independently. They reached #3 on the Hip Hop/R&B Single Sales chart and #19 on the year’s Top Selling R&B/Hip Hop Singles Sales chart. Through this, AHMIR began gaining local and national attention and coverage from publications including the front page of the Boston Globe. The foursome would later be invited to perform at Billboard’s industry competition, “We Hear the Future.” AHMIR won this competition, earning them the industry credibility that they had long been working for and also getting a foretelling write-up in Billboard as the “They’re Next” featured artist. “Sweet harmonies are the hallmark of Boston-based AHMIR,” wrote Billboard’s Senior Music Editor, Gail Mitchell, for the feature piece. Off the success of their first single, AHMIR ended up touring Europe, visiting numerous countries like Germany and Austria. AHMIR would continue to grow in popularity with another single, “The Wedding Song.” In 2007 the song went viral, and the group was requested to sing the tune in weddings across the country. On April 11, 2007 the group independently debuted their first album entitled, The Gift, which included their most popular singles, “Welcome To My Party” and “The Wedding Song.” The Gift won a Boston Urban Music Award that year and AHMIR was once again catapulted even higher in the public eye. http://ahmirmusic.com/#pageID=13&selectedPageID=13 Audition Ahmir's audition in Episode 204 consisted of singing an A cappella version of The Five Satins' "In the Still of the Night." JayDK, Foxy, Pennies, and Danger all voted 'Yes', sending them to the Judge Cuts. Judge Cuts Ahmir's Judge Cuts performance in Episode 207 consisted of singing Bruno Mars' "Just the Way You Are" as a group. JayDK, Pennies, and Danger all gave the group standing ovations. Their performance was strong enough to send them to the Quarterfinals. Quarterfinals Ahmir's Quarterfinals performance in Episode 209 consisted of singing "Let It Go" from Disney's Frozen. JayDK, Usagi, and Pennies all gave the group standing ovations. They placed either sixth, seventh, or eighth in the vote. In the Dunkin’ Save, they received less votes than Blackthorne. In the Judges’ Choice, JayDK, Usagi, Pennies, and Danger all voted for Ahmir, sending them to the Semifinals instead of Nitish Bharti. Trivia *Their Judge Cuts performance started the phrase, "To Ahmir," which means to first be an act seen as fodder, but to then come out swinging with a performance that suddenly makes them contenders, shocking America in the process. Category:Acts Category:Accepted Acts Category:Vocal Groups Category:Season 2 Acts Category:Season 2 Accepted Acts Category:Season 2 Vocal Groups Category:Quarterfinalists Category:Season 2 Quarterfinalists Category:Semifinalists Category:Season 2 Semifinalists Category:Judges' Choice Winners Category:Finalists Category:Season 2 Finalists Category:6th Place Category:Most Improved